Vanilla Bean Production A Case Study in Gender Analysis

The case of vanilla in Uganda Government declares policy to promote cash crops Agricultural scientists suggest vanilla as cash crop Government gives incentives to farmers to plant vanilla Agricultural extension workers train farmers to plant vanilla Farmers given inputs - seed, fertiliser and credit Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

Steps taken and consequences Agricultural extension stations try out vanilla cropping Selected field trials are carried out Extension workers then train farmers Farmers plant vanilla After two years vanilla output is less than targeted After three years the output drops. Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

Why is vanilla output decreasing? Does it have to do with plant pathology? Are the farmers not following instructions? Is the extension service poor? Did the farmers get their inputs in time and in adequate quantity? Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

Who is consulted? Agricultural Research Institutes They were asked to look into the quality of input Check plant pathology Undertake more field trials Agricultural Extension Service Asked to improve extension services Provide timely inputs Mobilise farmer participation Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What questions did they ask? Agricultural Research Institutes Are the crops healthy? Is crop management optimal? Use of pesticides and other materials? Agricultural extension services What does farmer do when there is trouble with crop? Is extension service adequate? Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What happened? No problem was detected with crop management Extension services not optimal but adequate Farmers would like more inputs, especially loan subsidies Still the output decreased. Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What happened next? The Women’s Studies Department were doing a study of vanilla production The Government requested them to find out why vanilla output was decreasing The Women’s Studies Department set up an extensive enquiry Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What did they do? Changed the research question What are the relations of production? Who owns the land? Who owns the crop? Who does planting? Who does rearing? Who does harvesting? Who does the marketing? Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What did they do? Asked vanilla growers but disaggregated by gender Changed the respondents Asked vanilla growers but disaggregated by gender Asked both women and men since they both work on the crop Looked at the gender division of labour in production - i.e. who was doing what, what obligations did men have and women have. Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What else did they do? Changed the way questions were asked Asked women and men separately because they have different roles and interests Did not use questionnaires because women are illiterate Used participatory research methods to provide conducive environment for free and frank discussion. Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What did they find? Vanilla crop is very labour-intensive Men own the crop and do the initial planting. Women of the household provide the labour for the intensive cultivation. No other labour is hired. Women had to neglect their subsistence crops to manage. Men continued to cultivate their other market crops Women had to work harder and couldn’t keep up Men do the marketing and control the cash Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl

What was the end result? Women could not manage all the work - there just was not enough time They were losing their subsitence crops and not getting the benefits of cash crop production They were sabotaging the crop by nipping the bud at the point of germination Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.kit.nl